Only One Victor
by purple-camels
Summary: At the end of the 74th Hunger Games, both tributes survived due to Katniss's intelligence, but what if the Gamemakers hadn't allowed that? What if only one could survive? Follows how Peeta deals with Katniss's death
1. Chapter 1

**"Greetings to the final contestants of the seventy-fourth Hunger Games. The earlier revision has been revoked. Closer examination of the rule book has disclosed that only one winner may be allowed." He says. "Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favour."  
**  
I hand Peeta a handful of the berries, clutching my own. Leaning forward I whisper as quietly as I can, "Don't swallow."  
I hold the berries out for a moment for the audience to see and Peeta does the same. And then I tip my head back and drop the berries into my mouth, hoping desperately that my plan will work. Peeta copies my movements.  
But nothing happens. My eyes flicker up to the sky, then to Peeta.  
There is nothing for it. Gale and the Baker had promised to look after my family. And since Peeta will win he will have more then enough for them.  
I swallow my mouthful. Shock is evident on Peeta's face, but not enough, like he thinks I only pretended to swallow.  
We lock gaze, and then I keel over sideways  
Katniss Everdeen is dead.

* * *

Katniss Everdeen is dead!  
The girl he loved. Gone.  
Peeta spewed out the berries and leaped to her side, his fingers grappling at her neck and wrist, hoping desperately for a pulse.  
Claudius Templesmith announces that Peeta Mellark is the victor of the seventy-fourth Huuger Games, but all that means to Peeta at the moment is that Katniss is truly dead.  
A hovercraft materializes to collect Peeta but he stays leaning over Katniss, his arms locked around her. A man descends and pulls at his arm, but Peeta holds tight. After several more futile tugs another man descends and together they pull Peeta – still clutching Katniss – to the ladder.  
On board the hovercraft several others help to prize Peeta's hands off the girl.  
Peeta gets laid out on a doctors' table and knock out so his leg can be fixed.

When Peeta woke he was in an unfamiliar white room. He tried to sit up but something was holding his torso and legs down. He shouted and after a moment a door opened to his left. One of the avoxes walked in carrying a tray of food, behind him was Haymitch.  
The pressure holding him released and he sat up quickly to receive the food. After placing the tray down on Peeta's leap the avox left but Haymitch remind.  
Peeta inspected the food, a bowl of broth, a glass of water and a small serving of applesauce. It seemed a meagre amount but as he ate he filled quickly and realised his stomach must've shrunk from lack of food In which case, how long had he been asleep?  
"How are you feeling?" Haymitch asked.  
Peeta was thankful his mouth was full so he could postpone answering.  
How did he feel?  
Bad. Why didn't he eat those stupid berries. He had told Katniss that he wanted to defy the Capitol, show them that he wasn't just a piece of their game. That had been the perfect chance. A double suicide, the last two alive in the arena. They wouldn't have their victor. It was by defiance and choice. But there had been an inkling of hope inside him that the Gamemakers would rescue them to have a winner as he had assumed to be Katniss's plan. And then she had swallowed them…  
Peeta grunted, knowing Haymitch was waiting for a reply.  
"And how is your leg?"  
That's right. He'd been bleeding. He was going to bleed to death so that Katniss would win... but she wouldn't let him. She had taken his place. Now Peeta had to deal with the consequences.  
Peeta pulled the covers off his body and examined his legs. Although really, only one was his, the other… the leg that had been so badly injured, now plastic and metal, prosthetic.  
Peeta stood up and slid off the bed, taking halting steps, limping slightly, getting used to his leg.  
"Fine." Peeta grunted again.  
"Good. Well, I'll leave you alone for a while; I suggest you get some sleep before your prep team comes to dress you up."

Peeta paid little attention as his prep team babbled about the recent Games. At one point they attempted to consol him on his loss, but none of them really understood.  
Portia had him dressed in black in honour of Katniss, but with a red silk scarf around his neck, another memorial for the girl who was on fire.

The anthem was so loud, even backstage were Peeta waited.  
Caesar Flickerman greeted the audience, which broke into applause. His prep team was presented, then Effie. Portia was next, receiving a large cheer, though no doubt less then the one Cinna would've gotten if Katniss had won, she was the flame, Peeta was simply there.  
The Crowd greeted Haymitch with a round of stomping that seemed to go one forever.  
Finally it was Peeta's turn, he just wanted to get this over with, to be able to curl up and not think about anything.  
The crowd went hysteric. He was their Victor, with all the right words and a love so strong he'd done everything he could to protect her, even willing to bleed to death.  
Peeta sat stock still in the Victor's chair, no longer caring about the Capitol. He stared at the screens but hardly watched, he'd lived through it, why did he need to see it again?  
At the beginning was a detailed section of the blood bath, and then there were mostly just bits of the others including every single death. Also shown was everything he'd done to keep her alive. Misleading the Careers then waiting all night under the tree that Katniss had dropped the Tracker Jackers from. Fighting with Cato so Katniss could run, and then whispering her name over and over again as he lay in the mud surly dying.  
Only a few bits really pulled any emotion from Peeta, the first was the little girls death, where Katniss sang. Peeta could feel the eyes of many viewers on him and he felt himself about to cry, knowing he could never hear her sing again.  
Another time was just after that where Katniss shouted out his name when she found out they could both survive.  
The recap end with Peeta clutching to Katniss and he noticed that his eyes were streaming tears and he'd been whispering to her over and over again. "Don't go Katniss, don't go, stay. Stay with me. Stay with me. Please. Please. Please… Think of you sister. Your mother. Me. We need you Katniss. We need you. Please…."  
The anthem played again and President Snow came on to present the crown to Peeta. And then it was over. At least that part was. Caeser Flickerman bid the audience goodnight and reminded them about the final interview tomorrow night.


	2. Chapter 2

Peeta didn't sleep well that night. He was restless, tossing about. And when he did finally fall asleep he was harassed by dreams of Katniss, and his family being taken.

The next day was much the same as the one before. Peeta wandered through his thoughts while his prep-team prattled on as they always did.  
Peeta dreaded the interveiw. He'd lost his chance to break tradition, now if he spoke out against the Capitol it wasn't his life at risk he worried for. They would take his brother, sisters, parents.  
He woudln't act fine though. His love for Katniss was real and everyone knew that. He could encase his anger at himself and the Capitol in his greif for Katniss. The two were related anyway.  
Today he wore a flambouant flame-patterned shirt and plain black pants.  
As he saw himself dressed he realised he had never meant anything in the Games. Peeta was just Katnisss devoted lover. A tribute to the Girl Who Was On Fire. Making her desirable ad interesting was all he had been good for. Even at then end when he had resolved to bleed to death for her she beat him to it in an act of defiance against the Capitol.

He waited backstage impatienly, nervoously fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Before the Games he had accepted his sure fate and so he'd been at relative ease and able to demonstrate he social abilities. Now things had changed and he was scared. Scared for his family and worred about what he would do.

A hand was place on his shoulder and he jumped.  
"Be careful." Haymitch's husky voice was easily recognisable.  
Peeta gave a discernible nod.  
Haymitch studied Peeta's face. "You'll have to smile."  
Peeta's prep-team had done their best to hid his lack of sleep but marks of grief were still clearly evident through his minimal make-up and weak smile.  
Haymitch patted him on the shoulder once. "Go on. It's time."  
Peeta nodded once more and walked out onto the stage.  
A cheer rose loudly, as always would for the winner of the games.  
Peeta felt awful stepping out there. He was being cheered for killing others. Many of them who had had no choice in the matter, same as him.  
He also felt awful for Katniss's family. What would they think of him?

"So tell me Peeta, how does it feel winning the games?" Caeser Flickerman's voice was loud and disconcerting.  
"My heart goes out to all those families who have suffered a loss,"  
Caeser seemed to frown in the slightest.  
"as I have." Peeta continued. As long as anything he said was in greif for Katniss he should be ok.  
Caeser nodded encouragingly. "Oh yes yes, it's a very droll business."  
Peeta's eye-twitched and he gave a tight smile.  
"And what will you do when you get back home, to District 12?"  
"Make sure my family is never hungry again." Peeta's answer was stilted and sounded scripted but it was _a_ truth and the audience believed that response.  
The interview continued a little time, Caeser asking questions he obviously thought the audience would like to hear.  
"And how is your leg?"  
Peeta lifted his pant's leg so the prosthetic was visible. "Quite well thank you, though I would have preffered to have Katniss."  
"Oh yes, a very sad business. Our beloved Girl on Fire is no more."


	3. Chapter 3

Peeta found the train ride home lonely. Although he hadn't really talked to Katniss on the way in, he now desperately missed her presence. The sound of her familiar arguments with Haymitch and her determined self-assurance.

Effie was not accompanying them back to district 12, she had no reason to, and Haymitch had returned to his drink. Peeta didn't say anything about it but he _knew _it had to do with failure and drowning unwanted memories. He had succeded in helping his charges reach the end of the games, but only one survived. And it had always been Katniss who was supposed to win,

As the train neared District 12 Peeta began to panic. He didn't fell like he could deal with Katniss's family, or his own for that matter.

He couldn't wait to get home and see his siblings, his father, and even his mother. But he also wanted the train to go on forever, so he could hide away in his compartment, or join Haymitch in drowning sorrows.

As the train pulled in to the station Peeta took a deep breath and prepared himself for the crowd and cameras.

The train door slid open and he stepped out into the glaring brightness of the overcast sky. The cameras zoomed about disconcertingly, and the people, who had to be there, gathered in hoards. Peeta waved, smiled for the cameras, and began to walk down the platform. He scanned the faces and one, almost unfamiliar, caught his attention. This face glared at him, with distaste or simple hatred he could not tell, but recognized the man as a friend of Katniss.

Peeta tore his eyes away as he heard his name called, and turned to see his sister waving for his attention. She stood with the rest of his family, who were all watching him.

At hurried to his family and as if on instinct embraced his siblings. He felt a moment of surprise as his mothers meaty arms wrapped about him, she had never been very expressive of her emotions. His father smiled sadly at him, he understood what it was like to lose the one you had always loved, though not in such an awful way.

Peeta passed the next few days in a sort of daze, avoiding any real emotion, and interactions with anyone outside his family.

They were moved into a new house in Victors Village but his parents still worked the bakery each day.

The day before he left on the Victory Tour Peeta realized he had something he needed to do.

He gathered together a basket of food and set off through the square.

Peeta knocked on the door and waited in silence. After a few moments the door creaked open and a small face peered up at him.

"Yes?" asked Primrose Everdeen shyly.

"I have brought you food. Is your mother in?"

Primrose nodded and opened the door wide, "Follow me."

Peeta stepped inside and closed the door behind him, then followed Primrose into the small kitchen and set the basket of food on the table.

"Wait here."

Peeta nodded and watched as Primrose left the room and returned a few moments later trailing behind her mother. Mrs Everdeen looked tired, and she stood staring at Peeta for a moment.

"I brought this," Peeta proffered the basket.

"Thank you," her voice was hoarse and thin. She stood still watching him and after a minute Peeta placed the basket on the table.

Mrs Everdeen sat down in a chair and motioned for Peeta to do the same.

"How is your leg?"

Peeta could tell the question was purely out of politeness. "Fine, thank you. How is your work?"

"Oh the same as ever really."

"It's pretty amazing what you do. Katniss said you were magic."

"Mrs Everdeen smiled fondly, but Peeta detected the pain behind the façade.

"I really do try, and Prim is a wonderful helper. Katniss," she paused for a breath and then continued hurriedly, "Did you know she used to run out of the room when there was blood?"

Peeta shock his head in surprise.

"Well she did, never liked seeing all the injuries."

"I never would have guessed. She was squeamish, but did well patching me up. You should be proud."

Mrs Everdeen pursed her lips.

"I know I shouldn't have let her do what she did. I really did love her, and I never thought she'd do it, she had such a strong will to keep alive. She was sure you and Primrose needed her, and she wasn't going to let anything stop her returning. I-" Peeta clasped his hands in his lap, "I'll do anything I can to help you."


End file.
